I am reminded of two things. First, my mother telling me about being a grad student at UCLA in the bad old days of McCarthyism and loyalty oaths, with an obbligato of “you just had to go along.” She was a singularly anxious and guilt-ridden person.
The second is how Trump and his cadres just keep rolling along, one fait accompli after another, oh was that illegal? too bad it’s done nothing can fix it ha ha. And on the front end, as you note, lobbing up sticks, stones, bones, names, lies, damned lies and threats, to clear their path just enough.
We need to be willing to obstruct.
We need not to give phantasms of profit motive a blanket pass, though it’s become The American Way over the past 45 years. We need to refuse to practice helplessness or hopelessness.
As Ray Bradbury quoted Hugh Latimer saying to Nicholas Ridley just before they were burned at the stake: “Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.”
I seldom know what people mean when they use the word "capitalism" in these sorts of ways-- and it often seems to me to comprehend too much undifferentiated stuff.
FWIW, what I was getting at was two things:
(1) electronic credits or even pieces of paper are pretty spectral-- not good to eat or wear or read or living in, and
(2) it has become customary to make the profit motive an indulgence or a blessing, but it is far from clear that stiffing the future by starving labor and infrastructure and environment is as profitable, in the longer run, as investing in them to a greater degree. And "profit motive" has become a synonym for austerity and miserliness and future-trashing.
This settlement does set a dangerous precedent. Angry that ABC settled. Why would they? To gain access? And the settlement money will be used for a DT museum. Barf!
Disney owns ABC and Disney is about protecting the corporation. DiSantis in FL already attacked Disney and forced some ugly changes on them because he's a twit and wanted to show them who is boss. Disney does not like to be involved in things like lawsuits that can damage the brand or make them a target of ugly lunatics like DiSantis and Trump. I'm sure the hope is that this money will send Trump on his way to attack other corporate media.
It's like Bezos and bending the knee at the WAPO. It's not about the Post it's about his space company and government contracts and it's about keeping the government away from Amazon -- his cash cow -- that he doesn't want broken up or tampered with in any manner.
Neither Disney nor Bezo care about journalism or free speech or media standards.
If they don't want to be involved in lawsuits and stand for what is right and defend freedom of the press they should sell ABC to someone who has the guts to take on frivolous lawsuits. This lawsuit should never have been settled. Defamation is hard to prove, under the law. This is pure kissing DT's butt.
Since I’m not watching the news, this is the first I’m hearing about the ABC debacle. I’m appalled and sickened by the fact that they ‘kissed the ring’ before deposition. Is this the way everything is going to go from now on until the crown is officially placed on the top of his poufy head? Will he appear in a cape and hold a scepter? I’ve stopped shopping at so many corporate outlets that contribute to the 🍊idiot, now I will have to stop watching ABC? And he’s not even in office yet.
Please let me know when he chooses his hand signal to indicate obedience…🤬
I am frequently unsurprised at things that formerly would have stunned me. This? Stunned me. During the Richard Jewell case, his local paper, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution held out and refused to settle. They were successful but more importantly, they knew the assignment. You do not open the door to government censorship, by court case or complicit fiat.
Since 11/5 my habits have drastically changed. Each morning I'd watch Morning Joe even though I have no love for Scarborough. The show included esteemed historians and writers that had me watching daily. I was also a Rachel Maddow fan. Now I am listening to light classical or some other restful music in the early a.m. and at night a movie or an earlier bedtime. ABC will now be added to my "no watch" list! We witnessed the dying 4th estate take a dive when they refused to endorse a presidential candidate and now we are seeing electronic media refusing to push back against threats vital to preserving the basic element of our freedom, the 1st amendment!
MSNBC and CNN have seen drastic reductions in viewership while the CULT channel has seen dramatic increases. I know there are some independent, small media operations that continue to do Pulitzer worthy efforts but the corporate media has largely caved for the cult leader and his minions. I am happy to be proved wrong.
Come on, George Stephanopoulos; speak up and defend your rights as a journalist, and the First Amendment. I'm quite sure you are smoldering over this action. Be the first to show some cajones!
In order to show some guts, Stephanopoulos would have to make an announcement that he doesn't agree with this settlement and quit his very lucrative position and possibly face never having another job in the media. I doubt he'll do that. It's more beneficial financially for him to seethe in silence.
So is he going to sue the judge next who said the verdict found that Trump had raped Carroll according to the common definition of the word? Will ABC start telling us about the "large crowds coming to see DT" instead of real news? Maybe we need to make our lists of where to go to be informed and where not to go because they are likely spreading misinformation and propaganda.
ABC just gave him a donation to his bank account. Bezos, Zuckerberg, others have given one million to his inauguration, but ABC ie. Disney -- just handed him $15 million for his "foundation." LOL Now he'll go after all of the other media outlets.
Of course, Trump has spent his life defaming public figures and if anyone sued him, he'd never settle, he'd just run with it endlessly.
As you stated -- capitulation and now he'll be back for more. And, yes, he is a rapist.
I am reminded of two things. First, my mother telling me about being a grad student at UCLA in the bad old days of McCarthyism and loyalty oaths, with an obbligato of “you just had to go along.” She was a singularly anxious and guilt-ridden person.
The second is how Trump and his cadres just keep rolling along, one fait accompli after another, oh was that illegal? too bad it’s done nothing can fix it ha ha. And on the front end, as you note, lobbing up sticks, stones, bones, names, lies, damned lies and threats, to clear their path just enough.
We need to be willing to obstruct.
We need not to give phantasms of profit motive a blanket pass, though it’s become The American Way over the past 45 years. We need to refuse to practice helplessness or hopelessness.
As Ray Bradbury quoted Hugh Latimer saying to Nicholas Ridley just before they were burned at the stake: “Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.”
Amen.
Love it, "phantasms of profit motive"! We are reaping the curses that capitalism has inflicted upon us! Deck the halls!!!
I seldom know what people mean when they use the word "capitalism" in these sorts of ways-- and it often seems to me to comprehend too much undifferentiated stuff.
FWIW, what I was getting at was two things:
(1) electronic credits or even pieces of paper are pretty spectral-- not good to eat or wear or read or living in, and
(2) it has become customary to make the profit motive an indulgence or a blessing, but it is far from clear that stiffing the future by starving labor and infrastructure and environment is as profitable, in the longer run, as investing in them to a greater degree. And "profit motive" has become a synonym for austerity and miserliness and future-trashing.
The only real question now is whether we will choose to be cowards, too
True. Too true. I’ll start: Donald J. Trump is a rapist.
This settlement does set a dangerous precedent. Angry that ABC settled. Why would they? To gain access? And the settlement money will be used for a DT museum. Barf!
Haven’t they noticed that people who make deals with the devil get burned? I guess not.
It's like the girlfriend of the married guy who divorces and marries her, she never thinks he'll cheat on her like he cheated on the first wife.
Since Trump is a serial cheater and divorcer and marrier -- they can't say that they weren't warned when he burns them after this "deal."
Disney owns ABC and Disney is about protecting the corporation. DiSantis in FL already attacked Disney and forced some ugly changes on them because he's a twit and wanted to show them who is boss. Disney does not like to be involved in things like lawsuits that can damage the brand or make them a target of ugly lunatics like DiSantis and Trump. I'm sure the hope is that this money will send Trump on his way to attack other corporate media.
It's like Bezos and bending the knee at the WAPO. It's not about the Post it's about his space company and government contracts and it's about keeping the government away from Amazon -- his cash cow -- that he doesn't want broken up or tampered with in any manner.
Neither Disney nor Bezo care about journalism or free speech or media standards.
And thus it has ever been.
If they don't want to be involved in lawsuits and stand for what is right and defend freedom of the press they should sell ABC to someone who has the guts to take on frivolous lawsuits. This lawsuit should never have been settled. Defamation is hard to prove, under the law. This is pure kissing DT's butt.
Well said. And as Susan said Donald J. Trump is a rapist.
Since I’m not watching the news, this is the first I’m hearing about the ABC debacle. I’m appalled and sickened by the fact that they ‘kissed the ring’ before deposition. Is this the way everything is going to go from now on until the crown is officially placed on the top of his poufy head? Will he appear in a cape and hold a scepter? I’ve stopped shopping at so many corporate outlets that contribute to the 🍊idiot, now I will have to stop watching ABC? And he’s not even in office yet.
Please let me know when he chooses his hand signal to indicate obedience…🤬
I am frequently unsurprised at things that formerly would have stunned me. This? Stunned me. During the Richard Jewell case, his local paper, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution held out and refused to settle. They were successful but more importantly, they knew the assignment. You do not open the door to government censorship, by court case or complicit fiat.
Bezos, Zuckerberg, Scarborough, Brzezinski, ABC, Stephanopoulos. Who’s next?
Maybe Chris Rock should become a journalist.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=foJhGAy8sQM&pp=ygUYY2hyaXMgcm9jayBzbmwgbW9ub2xvZ3Vl
Since 11/5 my habits have drastically changed. Each morning I'd watch Morning Joe even though I have no love for Scarborough. The show included esteemed historians and writers that had me watching daily. I was also a Rachel Maddow fan. Now I am listening to light classical or some other restful music in the early a.m. and at night a movie or an earlier bedtime. ABC will now be added to my "no watch" list! We witnessed the dying 4th estate take a dive when they refused to endorse a presidential candidate and now we are seeing electronic media refusing to push back against threats vital to preserving the basic element of our freedom, the 1st amendment!
Not all press is obeying in advance. I promise.
Though/And independent press can definitely use our support!
I needed to be reassured. TY.
MSNBC and CNN have seen drastic reductions in viewership while the CULT channel has seen dramatic increases. I know there are some independent, small media operations that continue to do Pulitzer worthy efforts but the corporate media has largely caved for the cult leader and his minions. I am happy to be proved wrong.
Snyder and his books & videos will be invaluable in the next few years.
RESIST.
Come on, George Stephanopoulos; speak up and defend your rights as a journalist, and the First Amendment. I'm quite sure you are smoldering over this action. Be the first to show some cajones!
In order to show some guts, Stephanopoulos would have to make an announcement that he doesn't agree with this settlement and quit his very lucrative position and possibly face never having another job in the media. I doubt he'll do that. It's more beneficial financially for him to seethe in silence.
Yeah, it would take a real stand-up kind of guy.
So is he going to sue the judge next who said the verdict found that Trump had raped Carroll according to the common definition of the word? Will ABC start telling us about the "large crowds coming to see DT" instead of real news? Maybe we need to make our lists of where to go to be informed and where not to go because they are likely spreading misinformation and propaganda.
If it works, he'll try it. And this just encourages more abuse of the legal system.
😥😡
Frankly, I am speechless.
ABC just gave him a donation to his bank account. Bezos, Zuckerberg, others have given one million to his inauguration, but ABC ie. Disney -- just handed him $15 million for his "foundation." LOL Now he'll go after all of the other media outlets.
Of course, Trump has spent his life defaming public figures and if anyone sued him, he'd never settle, he'd just run with it endlessly.
As you stated -- capitulation and now he'll be back for more. And, yes, he is a rapist.
I wondered what the lawsuit was about. He didn’t say “alleged” or “supposed” ! He is a rapist dammit!
I watch the nightly news with David Muir still. I forgot about Disney owning them. 😢